Needle or tufting device



Get. 15, 1935. R. c. LANG NEEDLE OR TUFTING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 6, 1931 INVENTOR. lfi/do/ bh C. Lam muzlwmw ATTORNEYS.

@cfi. 15, 1935. R. c. LANG 2,017,193

' Q NEEDLE QR TUFTING DEVICE Filed June 6, 1931 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Rudolph C. 1.42/1

INVENTOR.

BYM'wMML A TTORNEYS.

@cfi. 15; 1935. R. c. LANG NEEDLE OR TUFTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3FIII VIIIII" HIFZIIM\ v v Filed June 6, 1951 iV/lllVlI/lld Saw Rudolph6'. Long.

INVENTOR;

,5& AZ, h,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,017,100 NEEDLE onTUFTING DEVICE Rudolph C. Lang, New York, N. Y., assignor to to A. B. A.Specialties Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New YorkApplication June 6, 1931, Serial No. 542,541

3 Claims.

10 and said tufting elements is the use of a complete preformed tuftingelement which is placed in its final tufting position by one operationon the part of the tufting operator. The tufting element is providedwith means which the'needle re- 15 ceives, whereby the tufting elementas a whole is drawn through the body being tufted and is then releasedto complete the tufting operation.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear,

530 this invention consists in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter .described and then sought to bedefined in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof 25 and which show, merely for the purposeof illustrative disclosure, several embodiments of my invention, itbeing expressly understood, however, that various changes may be made inpractice within the scope of the claims without digressing 30 from myinventive idea.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of one form ofdevice of needle constructed to embody my invention in position to beinserted or passed 35 through a mattress or other body to be tufted.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section showing the device of Figure 1after it has been inserted and passed through the body.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing 40 the tufting element inposition in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the needle or device drawn.or pulled back through the body with the tufting element released, butbefore it assumes its final position.

45 Figure 5 is a similar view with the needle or device completelywithdrawn and the tufting ele-' ment in its final position.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of a portion of the needle showinga modified detail of 50 construction.

Figure '7 is a similar view showing a slight modification.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross section of a modified form of tuftingdevice or needle inserted 55 through the body'to be'tufted.

Figure 9 is a similar view with the movable part of the tufting deviceor needle at an intermediate stage of its movement.

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the tufting device or needle justafter it has been pulled back 5 through the body being tufted and beforethe tufting element is released.

Figure 11 is a side elevation showing the tufting element released andthe ornamental button attached, all parts assuming their final position.

Figure 12 is a vertical cross section of the lower end portion ofanother modified construction of tufting device or needle.

Figure 13 is a horizontal transverse cross section taken through theopening in the lower end of the needle shown in Figure 12.

Figures 14 and 15 are a vertical cross section and a front elevationrespectively, of another modified form.

Figure 16 is a vertical cross section of a vise 20 or holding elementfor the needle, the needle being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 17 is a top plan view of the vise shown in Figure 16.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral l designates the body of thetufting device or needle which is preferably tubular in construction andprovided with the solid tapered sharpened end or point member 2. At itsupper end the body I is provided with the laterally extending 3o flangemembers 3 constituting holding means. An elongated plunger 4 is slidablypositioned within the tubular body I and may be provided with the head"5. The tubular body I is provided with a suitable opening or slot 6 nearthe point member 2.

The operation of this form of device is clearly illustrated in Figures 1to 5 inclusive. The point is passed entirely through the body 7 which isto be tufted, into the position shown in Figure 2. 40 The plunger 4 islifted to permit the insertion of the stiffened tufting head 8 on oneend of the tufting element 9. This is held in position due to itsengagement by the end of the plunger 4 and slight pressure by the fingeror fingers of the operator upon the head 5 of said plunger. The tuftingelement 9 is, of course, of sufficient length to pass entirely throughthe body I and extend from the bottom to the top surface thereof. Thetufting device or needle is then withdrawn to theposition shown inFigure 4 where the stiffened tufting head 8 has been pulled entirelythrough the body 1. It is released by the removal of the pressureagainst the head 5 of the plunger i and dueto the pull of the tuftingelement 9, it be ing understood, of course, that the other tufting head8 has engaged the lower surface of the body as clearly shown in Figure4, so that the upward movement of the tufting element and the uppertufting head 8 is limited. Further withdrawal of the tufting device orneedle as illustrated in Figure 5, permits the tufting element to assumethe normal position as shown in Figure 5. p

In some instances, it is not necessary to use the plunger 4, in whichevent the body I of the tufting device or needle is provided With a slotor recess H of the bayonet slot type, having the larger insertingopening l2 and the narrower.

holding opening or slot 13. .In this form the tufting head is merelyinserted into the slot when the needle is in the position shown inFigure 3 and is held locked therein during the withdrawal or backwardmovement of the tufting device or needle. When this movement iscomplete, the stiffened head 8 is released by the fingers of theoperator or in any other suitable manner.

In some cases it is desirable to use a tufting head 8 which is ofsubstantial width or thickness and in that event, it may be necessary toslightly bow or enlarge the tubular body M of the tufting device orneedle as indicated at E5 in Figure '7. Thisprovides sufiicient room forthe use of a stiifened tufting head of considerable greater Width andthickness. Such type may be referred to as the flat type, and suchconstruction may be used with my tufting device or needle with equalfacility to the other types.

In the form of device shown in Figures 8 to 11 inclusive, I provide a.needle proper l6 having a sharp point end I! provided with an eye oropening l8 and having an operating head or knob H) at the other end.This needle proper I6 is slidably mounted in the tubular case or bodywhich is provided with the head member 26 at its upper end. The head IQof the needle engages the end of the tubular body 2!] to limit itsdownward movement. In the use of this form of device it is inserted as awhole through the body 22 to be tufted to-the position shown in Figure8. There the hook member 23 of a suitable tufting element 24, preferablyhaving a button 25 at the other end, is passed through the eye oropening l8, see Figure 9. Then the needle proper It is drawn upwardlyuntil the upper hook 23 extends beyond the upper surface of the bodybeing tufted when the tubular body 20 is drawn orpulled upwardly toexpose the upper hock member 23 so as to permit the attachment of theupper button 26 thereto, see Figure 10. Then the hook member 23 isreleased from the needle and the tufting element assumes the positionshown in Figure 11.

of the drawings.

In the form of construction shown in Figures 12 to715 inclusive, thetufting device or needle includes the tubular body or case 21 having thesharpened point'or end 28 and also; having a plunger. 29 slidablymounted therein. In .the

form shown in Figures 12 and 13 the plunger 29 has the reduced end 39adapted to pass through the eyelet 3! provided in the'end of thetuftingelement32, an opening 33 being provided in' the tubular body 29 topermit'the insertion ofthe end' of the tufting element therein. Ifnecessary, the point member Ziifis provided with a recess 34 to receiveand hold the reduced 'end of the plunger 29 when in its loweredposition.

In the form shown in Figures 14 and 15, the plunger 29." isprovided withthe hooked'end- 35 which is exposed through a slot 36 having a wide topopening portion 31 and the elongated narrower portion 38. This hookconstruction is adapted to be used in connection with an eyelet or ahooked end construction of the tufting device as disclosed in saidFridolph application Serial No. 542,799.

It may be desirable to use aholding element or vise in connection withsaid tufting devices or needles, and one form of such device is shown in10 Figures 16 and 17. It comprises a base or support 39 formed withspreading feet 40 and having a horizontally extending barrel portion 4 lin which is slidably mounted a. plunger 42 normally held in a forwardposition by means of coil spring, 43. 15 Alined openings M are providedin said barrel 4| to permit the passage of the tufting device or needle45 therethrough. The plunger is likewise formed with an opening at whichis in alinement with said openings 44 and the end of the plunger isextended beyond the barrel and provided with the operating head orbutton 41. When the operator presses against the button with suflicientforce, the opening 46 which should be preferably wider than the openings44, will permit the free 5 passage of the needle therethrough, but whenthe operator releases his pressure against the head or button ll, spring43 forces the plunger against the needle 45 and holds it securely inposition in said vise or holding means so that the operator 3:) has onehand free to manipulate the end of the tufting element ,so as to releasethat end or apply a button thereto or for some other purpose.

'What I claim is:

1. A hand needle for tufting mattresses, up- 35 holstery and the like,including an elongated tubular body having a handle at one end andprovided with a point at the other end, said body having an openingleading thereinto near its pointed end, an elongated plunger having ahandle at one end 0 movably mounted within said hollow body and having ahook at its lower end which in one position is located near the openinginto said hollow body so as toreceive an end member of a tufting elementand to hold the same in said hollow body 45 while the latter is inposition within the article being tufted,.said hollow body being thenadapted to be withdrawn through the article being tufted.

2. A hand needle for tufting mattresses, upholstery and the like,including an elongated hollow body having a sharp pointed end, saidhollow body having an opening formed into the lower portion thereof witha restricted slot communicating with said opening, the opening beingadapted to. receive the. end. member of acomplete tufting element and,to permit the passage of the material forming the body of the tuftingelement into the restricted slot so that the end member of the tui'tingelement will be held within the needle during its passage through thearticle being tufted to draw thefltufting element through said articlebeing tufted.

3. .A device of'the" character described, including a tubular body andan elongated plunger slidc5 ably mounted therein and adapted to engageand formed. with an offset portion at said opening so as to receive anelement of greater-width than "thenormal diameter of said tubular body.

' RUDOLPH c. ANG.

